Q&A: Dennis O’Keefe from the 1954 Joe DiMaggio photo

I have this theory, that 90 percent of the stories in the world are written about the same 100 or so people. And because the majority of those people are jerks, it’s easy to get a false impression that humanity is doomed. But if you pick 10 people out of an audience at random, 9 will be decent human beings.

That’s the thought behind Let’s Go to the Q&A, where I track down random subjects in historical Chronicle photos that appear in our Let’s Go to the Morgue! galleries.

This week’s subject is Dennis O’Keefe, from the 1954 Joe DiMaggio autograph photo in our recent Seals Stadium tribute. O’Keefe saw the piece and e-mailed me last week to share a few memories — revealing that he’s now a San Francisco Giants usher. He’s 71 years old, retired and lives in San Rafael. A current photo of Dennis is below!

We spoke by phone on Tuesday morning.

Q: Take me back to that day in 1954. You look pretty happy.

A: We went to school in the morning at St. Anne’s grammar school out in the Sunset District. I always kid that the reason we were able to go to the baseball game is because we were such good students and we got let off to go to Opening Day. But I don’t know if that was the case or not.

Q: So what are you telling me — this might have been a Ferris Bueller situation?

A: Right, yeah. (Laughs) I have my school books with me (in the photo), so I know it was a school day.

Anyway, we just went to the ballpark. We realized that Joe DiMaggio was down there and his best friend Reno Barsocchini was with him. And Reno was kind of trying to keep all the kids away from Joe. “Don’t bother him Don’t bother him.” But Joe was a pretty good guy. He signed the autographs and he seemed very cordial with everybody.

Q: It looks like there was a sea of kids there. It looks like he’s engulfed.

A: Three of the kids in that pictures were schoolmates of mine. The kid looking over my left shoulder was Jim Mannion. He’s still a good friend of mine. We ended up living close by over in San Rafael, and we both coached San Rafael baseball for 13 years.

Jim’s grandson is Sean Mannion, and he’s the starting quarterback at Oregon State.

Q: How old were you in the photo?

A: I was maybe 13. In 7th grade at St. Anne’s.

Q: Did you get the autograph? What happened to it?

A: You know what, I’m not sure. I got the autograph, I’m pretty sure. But I don’t know what happened to it.

That happened back then. When Willie McCovey first came up and he went 4-for-4 against Robin Roberts. I saw him that night. We lived in the Richmond District and he was out there with Willie Kirkland and Leon Wagner. We went across the street and talked to him for about half an hour. I only had a football, and Willie McCovey signed the football. I don’t have that either. (Laughs)

Q: You probably played with it.

A: I did. It probably got all worn out.

Q: Do you have memories of Seals Stadium?

A: I think I started going out there in 1947 with my dad when I was like 6 years old. I loved Seals Stadium. I still love it. It was a great park. It was really clean. The Usherettes were nice. They had a tank with water and a live seal in the lobby. And then after the game, the fans used to be able to get on the field and walk out the right field exit. The Yankees and the Red Sox came – I think they played kind of a Spring Training game.

At that time the seats were pretty cheap. I think the grandstand might have been a couple of dollars. I know the right field bleachers were nine cents. When the Giants came, the bleachers went up to 50 cents.

Q: That’s highway robbery …

A: The last couple of years that the Seals were there – it would have been ’55, ’56, ’57 – they were a farm team of the Boston Red Sox. A lot of people don’t know that, but I’ve always been a Red Sox fan. I still am. People ask ‘Why are you a Red Sox fan?’” I tell them that the Seals were a farm team of the Red Sox.

Q: You’re a Red Sox fan because of the San Francisco Seals? That’s hard core, Dennis.

A: I am. It’s been a tough year. … I have another memory. One year they had a bat boy contest for the Seals. … I was one of the runner-ups. They had a day, and the highlight was Lee Ann Meriwether, who was a Miss America, presented the certificates to us. I think she might have given us a little kiss on the cheek or something like that.

Q: Nice. Did you marry her?

A: No, I married another great girl.

Q: In a couple of sentences, what have you been doing in the last 60 years?

A: I left St. Anne’s, went to Sacred Heart for high school. I played a little baseball, but there were guys who were better than me. So I ended up playing football. I was a quarterback for Sacred Heart. Then I went out to San Francisco State and played a couple of years, but I got my knee hurt.

I went down looking for a summer job, and I ran into a friend of mine in front of the Pacific Stock Exchange. He said “Go inside. They’re looking for guys, and the guy who is hiring went to Sacred Heart.” I went in and interviewed, I started the next day on the Pacific Stock Exchange, and ended up there for 37 years.

Q: You’re retired now?

A: I lucked out. I got out in 1997 – I was about 58 when I retired. I’m 71 now.

Q: And you’re an usher at the Giants games?

A: Yeah, when they opened the ballpark, I thought “What should I do, do I want a 20-game season ticket?” I called over to see if they needed ushers. I had an interview, got hired and I lucked out. I got a great spot right next to the Giants dugout.

Q: How are the fans?

A: The fans are great. They’re all the season ticket holders – the little section I have is only like 18 people. You get to know them. They’re like family now. They give a big hug when they see you.

I always say to people, it’s great being here and being able to see the games. But I enjoy the two hours before the game, because there’s all kinds of people down near the dugouts trying to autographs. You’re able to talk to people from all over the country and the world. You really get to meet a lot of nice people.

Q: Ever catch a foul ball?

A: Yeah, I have. I caught a couple at Seals Stadium. There was one night that my dad caught one, and then I was walking out by the left field area and I think Joe Grace hit one out there.

Where I am now (at AT&T Park), a lot of foul balls come out there. And I catch them. But I always turn around and give them to a kid.

Q: Give it to the kid. The first rule of baseball.

A: That’s right. Make them happy. That’s my biggest joy, if I can make a kid happy. Then they get excited about baseball and maybe they want to come back again.

Thanks to Dennis for a excellent interview. You’re a first ballot Let’s Go to the Q&A Hall of Famer!

I love the detail that he’s a Boston Red Sox fan, because the Seals were a Red Sox farm team. That may be the most San Francisco thing I’ve ever heard.Bonus Dennis O’Keefe trivia: He has two sons and a grandson Brodie — who was named after San Francisco 49ers quarterback John Brodie.

PETER HARTLAUB is the pop culture critic at the San Francisco Chronicle and founder/editor of The Big Event. He takes requests. Contact him at phartlaub@sfchronicle.com. Follow him on Twitter @peterhartlaub. Follow The Big Event on Facebook.